Trade News
Bath’s Hot for Cook-Freeze Catering
apetito wins contract with RUH Bath
apetito, a leading supplier of frozen meals to the healthcare sector, has been awarded a three year contract with Royal United Hospital, Bath, following a seven month tendering process.
“It was time to review our meal provision to find a solution that better suited our requirements,” explains Mike Newport, Facilities Manager, Royal United Hospital, Bath. “Our goal is to ensure that our 700 patients receive quality, appetising hot meals when they wish to eat them. The previous cook-serve system posed two key challenges; firstly, staff found it difficult to maintain the temperature of meals served to patients in the ward. Secondly, serving hot meals was restricted to lunchtime, which may not suit the operation of every ward.”
When evaluating the different systems for food provision, the hospital found cook-freeze to be the best in terms of fulfilling its requirements. This system will allow food to be heated on demand enabling flexible feeding times to suit the ward staff whilst guaranteeing patients received piping hot meals.
Mike continues, “Based on this system, we evaluated products from five suppliers. apetito was short listed and the final decision was made on the company’s ability to provide a competitive proposition and on the quality of food and choice available. In addition, we viewed the close proximity of its manufacturing facility to the hospital as a benefit.”
“The apetito cook-freeze system has certainly improved our meal provision experience for our patients and the staff responsible for serving meals,” concludes Mike. “The feedback from patients has been very positive. They like the food and are satisfied with the standard of the meals they receive. We are very pleased to be working with apetito.”
The success of the cook-freeze system has resulted in apetito delivering approximately 700 hot main course meals and desserts to patients every lunchtime and a hot service in the evening as required.
For further information, contact Sophie Pettit, Splash Communications
Email: spettit@splashcommunications.com or Tel: 01225 348015
